Utah: Concealed Carry in Schools; Zero School Shootings. Coincidence?

Arizona – -(Ammoland.com)- In western states, “school shooter” has a different meaning. Many schools have rifle teams.

There are many likely contributors to the fact that Utah has zero school-related shootings.

Utah is one of the states that has the least restrictions on second amendment rights in the nation. It is one of the few that do not forbid concealed carry permit holders from carrying their personal defensive firearms in schools.

Utah has very little crime, with one of the lowest homicide rates in the country. As stated in this article from ksl.com, the odds that when you are in Utah, someone near you has a concealed carry permit, are very good.

Pedersen believes the fact the state has so many gun-friendly laws and concealed weapons permit holders may actually be a deterrent to these types of rampages.

The shooter doesn’t know what he’s up against.

“Odds are your neighbor, your person that you work with or your best friend, maybe, has a concealed weapons permit,” he said.

It’s that kind of logic that has Pedersen involved an effort to train and arm teachers. By law, concealed weapons permit holders can be armed inside Utah schools.

School shootings shot up after the passage of the federal gun free school zone law in 1996. The law was re-instated that year after heavy lobbying by President Clinton and Janet Reno. The law had been struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional in early 1995.

About Dean Weingarten;
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

@HappyClinger….Fortunatley Utah is a red state and is heavily Republican. The few liberals here have a tough enough time trying to get things done to their liking. I am proud to be a Utah resident with 3 additional western states concealed carry permits that allow me to go close to any state armed. Those states that do not honor any of my permits, don’t get visited by me.